Florida Panhandle

Welcome to the Florida Panhandle, which includes the Emerald Coast (Pensacola to Panama City)
 and the Forgotten Coast (Panama City to Carabelle).

                                                      Dolphins out for a swim one morning.

                         Friendly birds at the Pensacola Marina, just waiting for us to take their pictures. 

We think they were homeless as they kept begging for food.

Large ship next to our marina in Pensacola.   It's function is to lay oil pipe lines in the gulf.  It was in the harbor being refurbished.  This picture doesn't  do justice to the size of this ship.

                                                       Oranges, ready to pick in Pensacola.

                                                      Beautiful sunset at Fort Walton Beach

We tied up to the city pier for one night in Fort Walton Beach.  The 2nd night we got a room at a resort on the water.  They had a slip for the boat, spa, heated pool and laundry at off season prices.  

It was nice having a king size bed and big bathroom even if only for one night.



Christmas in the South.  Someday I'll learn to rotate a picture and put it on the blog.  Now I can do only one or the other. 

                           Florida's Grand Canyon (Intracoastal Waterway "ICW") - more white sand

                                                    Full grown deer here are rather small.

                                                  Low Tide - raking the bottom for oysters.

                                      Shrimp boat heading back in to port - we've seen several...

                Carabelle Marina - where the locals gather for coffee in the AM and beer in the PM.
          Note: burn barrel, wood, basket for cans, dog.  They tell fish stories, boat tales, you name it.





 This is one of the more interesting marinas we've stayed at.  Tonight there's a free barbecue chicken  dinner, a lighted boat parade and fire works.  This is the end of this part of the ICW.  It begins again at Tarpon Springs.  This means we'll be traveling in wide open gulf water for the next 180 miles.  Several cruising boats are here waiting with us for a favorable weather window to make the crossing.  We'll probably be here another couple of days.